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The Superpower of the

Introverted Choral Conductor

BY CHRIS MAUNU

When people think of a conductor, they often pic- up a room with sheer presence. Their charisma was
ture someone electric, charismatic, and full of flair. magnetic—bold, dynamic, and seemingly effortless. I
The stereotype leans toward the extrovert: someone would return home trying to emulate their gestures,
who can rally a room with infectious energy and ef- humor, and charged delivery, convinced this was the
fortless charm. Yet every personality type brings its way to lead. But every time, it felt off, like I was putting
own unique strengths and its own set of challenges. on a coat that didn’t quite fit. I could sense it in my stu-
One of the hurdles introverts face in creative fields is dents: “Why is Mr. Maunu acting like that?”
visibility. In musical spaces—especially at conferences I repeated this cycle for years, thinking that if I could
or professional gatherings—it’s often the extroverted only mimic someone else’s style, I would be more ef-
personalities who shine. They speak up more quickly, fective. It wasn’t until I began to lean into something
network faster, and seem to step into the spotlight with deeper and more personal that things started to change.
ease. There is nothing inherently wrong with that. But Slowly, I found myself becoming more comfortable in
when that becomes the default image of leadership on my own skin. I felt more relaxed, more grounded. I was
the podium, we risk overlooking the other types of bril- beginning to embrace my authentic self. That’s when
liance in our space. As an introverted conductor, I’ve the dynamic in my rehearsals shifted. The singers in
learned that what some might see as limitations are ac- front of me seemed to trust more, listen more, and take
tually my greatest tools. This article is for others like more ownership. Artistry began to deepen in ways that
me—to affirm that your quiet strength is more than felt meaningful and natural. Over time, I realized that
enough. the key was not in trying to adopt someone else’s per-
sona, but in discovering my own leadership style and
trusting it for the first time.
A Quiet Journey Looking back, my journey didn’t follow a typical
to Authentic Leadership path. I grew up in a small town in South Dakota, popu-
For a long time, I believed that the key to success on lation 267. There were just twelve students in my grad-
the podium was to adopt the outward energy of others. uating class. Most of my time was spent surrounded by
As a young music educator attending conferences and the simple rhythms of small-town life. As a quiet kid, I
workshops, I was drawn to presenters who could light didn’t see anyone in the performing arts who acted like

CHORAL JOURNAL November/December 2025 Volume 66 Number 4 43